Nature
Exploring "Why" questions about Nature
485 articles
Why is AC current better at long distances than DC?
**AC power can easily be transformed to a very high voltage.** * By the equation P = U*I we see an increase in voltage (U) must lead to a decrease in current (I) for the same power (P). * With Ohms l
Why do you get that weird vortex sound when you let both of your back windows down when driving?
I don't do that, but I've found that if I open the front passenger window a little bit and the window behind it a little bit, there's a nice (fairly quite) circulation in my car, with a slight breeze
Why do Californians still bother with lawns made of grass that dies in their climate?
We are creatures of habit, and we tend to want our houses to look like those around us. I live in Tucson, and almost no one here has lawns, especially front lawns. It's just not done.
Why are trains still not fully automatic but the world talks about fully autonom cars?
Automatic trains already exist in many areas (Paris metro, London DLR), however you still need a person present in case of problems and occasionally to take manual control. Also as Shenko-wolf says th
Why does everything sometimes look yellow outside after a thunderstorm?
> > > Most thunderstorms occur in the late afternoon. By this time of day, the sun is beginning to set. The orange hue is caused by the same process that causes the vivid colors at sunsets.
Why do rainbows seem to have individual bands of color as opposed to a gradual color shift?
They don't have individual bands of color, and do have a gradual color shift. You tend to interpret the gradual shift as individual color bands, but that is largely your brain that is doing that. You
Why does rain hurt when it hits you during a sky diving free fall
Everything falls at the same rate, yes, but there's air resistance. It's why a feather and a pencil don't fall at the same rate, unless they're in a vacuum. My lay-theory is that the water droplets ar
Why does it feel like our fingernails are almost about to fall out when we wave our hands really fast?
The force of you waving your hand basically 'throws' blood into your fingertips, causing them to swell very slightly. This swelling makes your fingernails sit ever-so-slightly in a different position,
Why it’s harder to breathe during strong winds
When air move around an object it usually creates differences in pressure. Much like a plane wing. Now imagine a strong wind moving past your mouth.
why is the ocean made of salt water and the lakes made of fresh water?
Oceans initially eroded away at bedrock and sediment that put salt into the water. Lakes and rivers, however, receive their water from rainfall. When the sun heats up the ocean, water evaporates and l